Senate committee hears broad support for tightening "home occupation" rules on farmland

Salem, March 6 — The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire opened public testimony on Senate Bill 77 on Thursday, a measure that would narrow what counts as a "home occupation" on land zoned for farm or forest use.

The bill was the focus of hours of testimony during a public hearing that the committee opened for three related measures. Proponents said SB 77 would close a loophole that allows large commercial enterprises—including hotels and event venues—to operate on high-value agricultural land under the guise of a home occupation.

Why it matters: Witnesses from farm and conservation organizations argued that expanded nonfarm uses inflate land prices and undermine working lands. Jim Johnson, working lands policy director for 1000 Friends of Oregon, told the committee, "The Oregon legislature never intended for the home occupation provision to be used to permit hotels, restaurants, and event venues with little or no connection to the home or the homeowner." Johnson said the bill would restore the…